THL Publication

One of THL’s core activities is to function as an academic publisher. Unlike traditional academic publishers, however, we provide publications to the public free of charge, allow contributors to keep their copyrights, and allow contributors to shape their own products without artificial constraints on length and format. THL offers three kinds of publication: THL Draft publication, THL Publication, and THL Re-Publication. One of these three terms appears in the header for each item published within THL, and the term is hyperlinked back to this page which serves to explain their significance.

One of the great features of digital publication is the ability to easily revise publications and quickly give an author broad access to readers for feedback. However, if draft versions of publications are cited, this has negative consequences for all concerned. Firstly, the author could be damaged by erroneous and provisional statements being cited in public. Secondly, the citation is unreliable since the draft in question may be revised and not endure in its provisional form in the future. Thus, it is important to allow authors to share drafts, but also to protect them from untimely citation. However, once something has been published, it is important that the public can be assured that whatever revisions might happen in the future, the publication will endure in the released form as well so that stable citations can be made. Thus, we differentiate between THL Draft Publication and THL Publication.

It should also be noted that THL’s Publications are peer-reviewed to maintain academic quality and provide appropriate academic credit. Please see the separate section dealing with Peer Review in the present document for details.

THL draft publication. This is a draft version of a publication-in-formation by the author. It cannot be cited under any circumstances and THL makes no commitment to it being available in its present form in the future. Suggestions for revisions should be addressed directly to the author. As a draft publication, it is not peer-reviewed within THL at this point.

THL publication. This is a final THL publication and thus, if a scholarly publication, is peer-reviewed. You may cite the work according to common academic practice, and THL is committed to making this work available in this precise form permanently. Any subsequent revisions will be released as a separate edition, while the present form will also be accessible in a permanent archive.

THL republication. This is a THL digital re-publication of a text already published elsewhere. It is not independently peer-reviewed within THL.